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Ranks and Structure of the Stormwind Navy
(Rosielyn's version) The Stormwind Navy is a complex organization that insists of more than ships. The Stormwind Navy has jurisdiction over ports, ships, rivers, and even smaller crafts, making it one of the largest organizations in the Kingdom of Stormwind. The navy is staffed by nearly tens of thousands of men, and thousands of officers, and is directly led by the Grand Admiral of Stormwind (currently Grand Admiral Jes-Tereth). Ranks Over the history of Stormwind, the ranks within the navy have shifted and changed to meet the needs of the time. Currently, the ranks are distinctly simple and plain, allowing others to know who is in charge of what. Officers Officers of the Stormwind Navy are said to be commissioned, referring to the commission that they hold from the Kingdom of Stormwind to possess a status of officership in the military. As such, they are usually referred to as commissioned officers and are considered Agents of the Crown in Stormwind Law. Officers are further divided into junior officers, senior officers, executive officers, commanding officers, ''and ''flag officers. Often, these overlap, and their roles are not set in stone as the ranks. The following will contain a list of officer naval ranks. Grand Admiral The rank of Grand Admiral is a position that is appointed directly by the King of Stormwind, and often one person will be the sole holder (although, multiple holders are possible, making up something of a naval board of directors). The rank of Grand Admiral is a relatively new one, created during the end of the Age of Peace, and combined the posts of First Lord of the Seas and High Admiral of the Navy. The Grand Admiral is considered a flag officer, and is entitled to fly their personal jack (naval flag) aboard ships and other vessels they are currently on board. While the appointment of the Grand Admiral is largely based on what the king chooses, recommendations are set forth from the Stormwind House of Nobles through a committee. People that are recommended are largely chosen on merit, prior experience, and political clout. Admiral Just below the Grand Admiral is the standard Admiral, who typically leads a large fleet of ships or a large naval base (or several smaller naval bases and installations). Admirals are picked through the recommendation of the Stormwind House of Nobles, selection by the Grand Admiral, and approval by the King of Stormwind. Admirals who are also landed nobles are given the title Lord-Admiral as part of their status. Admirals are considered flag officers, and are entitled to fly their personal jack (naval flag) aboard ships and other vessels they are currently on board. Admirals are also commanding officers as they are the ones who issue orders to their respective fleets. The number of admirals is largely limited due to the scope of their post, as well as the amount of fleets and naval bases in the Stormwind Navy. All admirals are also part of the Admiralty Board, which gives recommendations to the Grand Admiral on the nature of administration, strategy, and the status of enlisted personnel. Rear Admiral Rear Admirals are the last of the flag officers, and often serve as executive officers to Admirals. Although, a'' Rear Admiral can be in the position of a ''commanding officer by leading a naval base or a portion of a fleet under the authority of a standard admiral. Rear Admirals that are also lords are not given the style of Rear Lord-Admiral, and are simply referred to as Rear Admirals until promotions. Rear Admirals are chosen from Captains, and are recommended from the Admiralty Board, approved by the Grand Admiral. The promotion to Rear Admiral is rather rare, and very competitive among senior officers. Captain The iconic rank of Captain is largely associated with being the commanding officer of individual vessels. Which is largely true, and captains can also lead naval bases and installations, as well as serve to be executive officers to Rear Admirals and even Admirals. While not a flag officer, captains are chosen by the superior or commanding officer on the recommendation of the Admiralty Board due to the prestige of their status as captains. Though when promoted Captain, is extremely hard to move onto the admiral positions, and is largely considered the rank where senior officers retire. Captains serve as the most direct officer for many of the enlisted sailors on board ships, and often serve as dealers of law and regulations when deployed. Often a captain's word is law, and serve as judge, jury, and executioner aboard their ships. Captains often get together to assist their Admiral or Rear Admiral in a sort of Board of Captains on matters of strategy. Commander Commanders sit just below Captains, and often sit as a captain's executive officer, though it isn't unheard of for their to lead small vessels and remote installations. Commanders, prior to the modernization of the Navy, were referred to as First Mates aboard ships. Commanders can also serve as division officers, whom lead a particular divisions under the command of a Captain or a Rear Admiral. Though, as divisions are often small, it is considered rare for a Commander to lead one, and is often given to a lieutenant or senior enlisted. Lieutenant Lieutenants are considered the bedrock of the officer corp of the Navy, and serve as the most direct officer to the enlisted sailors. Lieutenants most often take the role of division officers, and lead a small team or group of sailors on a ship. Lieutenants can be drawn from many places: senior enlisted officers, the nobility, universities, or even certain military academies. A Lieutenant that is filling the role of a Commander is called a Lieutanant-Commander, though their rank is still that of a lieutenant. Midshipman Midshipman are the most junior of officers, and technically, are not considered officers, as they do not hold a commission. Midshipmen are often considered officer candidates, and are selected by Commanders and Captains to undergo training amid ships for a period of time before they are given a proper commission. Midshipman, by nature of their rank, are treated as officers but are given the pay of a petty officer. Enlisted Enlisted men of the Stormwind Navy are the workforce of the organization, doing much of the hard work that the navy requires. Enlisted personnel are largely drawn from the lower classes of Stormwind, and many of the enlisted men and women tend to be criminals who serve their time out in military service. But, personnel who voluntarily enlisted far outnumber the criminals. The junior enlisted ranks of Seamen are considered to be the base ranks, and do require a specialization or a trade to perform. However, the ranks of petty officer and upwards are often given to experienced sailors or those are certain training or specialties. A petty officer is often the first to provide first aid, communications to other ships, among other trades. Chief Petty Officer A Chief Petty Officer, often called a chief, is the highest enlisted rank within the Stormwind Navy and often serve as senior advisers to high level officers. Chiefs also represent the needs and interests of the lower enlisted to officers, though this role is often than not taken on good will, rather than pure duty. Chiefs are often held to a very high standard of conduct, moreso than junior officers, due to their nature of being some of the most experienced sailors in their respective fleets. Chiefs also often retire with knighthoods and small tracts of land, depending on their career. The selection of chiefs is a rather odd, in that they choose themselves. The chief petty officers of a fleet will often meet together on a sort of board, in which they select and debate on the various candidates to promote. Given that there is only a handful of Chiefs in an entire fleet, promotion is very rare and reserved for the best sailors in the fleet. Once a candidate is chosen, they are offered to the commanding officer for the formal promotion. Petty Officer Petty officers are considered the same as non-commissioned officers in the Army, and serve largely as a leader of enlisted personnel. Petty officers also typically have a required skill or trade not found commonly among the lower ranks of personnel. As such, petty officers often serve as triage nurses, communication specialists, cooks, and leading shipbuilders. The promotion to petty officer often requires the attention of the division officer and the chief petty officer that is part of the division, and once the selection has been made, the person is often given formal approval by the commanding officer. Able Seaman An Able Seaman is a seaman that is able to work aboard ships, and has typically undergone a period of basic training on the subjects of first aid, living at sea, and basic combat. This rank is often considered the full rank of seaman, and makes sure that the wheat separated from the chaff when it comes to those working aboard vessels. The promotion is often automatic in many fleets, though the person may be given a basic test or a review by the division officer before the promotion is given over. Seaman Seaman is the base entry rank for many sailors on the Navy. A seaman is often not allowed to work aboard ships before a period of training, and often works as a dockworker or a shipbuilder before being promoted upwards. Command Structure An administrative nightmare is what an admiral would describe how the Navy is structured, with certain fleets having controls over certain ports, while sharing control and administration with other fleets, all while communicating with the offices in Stormwind regarding matters of commands and originating orders. Not the world's best system, but it works. Shore and Land The Stormwind Navy controls plenty of shore installations, with the largest of which being the Stormwind Harbor. Headquarters A headquarters (known as an HQ) serves as the base for an Admiral and their respect fleet. Much of the administrative and officer workload is handled here, and the Admiral and their senior officers would direct the fleet from this locations. The Stormwind Harbor serves as the headquarters for three fleets of the Stormwind Navy, and is not far from the Stormwind Keep, which is considered the headquarters for the Grand Admiral of Stormwind. The Headquarters themselves (referring to the docks and operations) are often lead by rear admirals as commanding officers. Naval Port A Naval Port is the generic name for a port that is administered by the Stormwind Navy, and carries no special function as a headquarters is base. Naval ports are administered by a commanding officer, much like a vessel, with a support of an officer staff and enlisted personnel. Many seaman are stationed in ports to undergo training before being put aboard vessels. Many naval ports are lead by Captains. Naval Installation An installation is considered smaller than a port, or is a base of operations within a port that is not completely administered by the Stormwind Navy. Installations are often smaller in scope and operations, and provided support to the navy as needed. They are often led by Commanders or even Lieutenant-Commanders. Outpost An outpost is the smallest land-based post in the Stormwind Navy, and is often temporary, lasting at most for a few years and as short as a month. They are often lead by Lieutenants, or in the most rare cases, by petty officers. Sea and Vessels Being a Navy, the administration of ships and vessels are handled separately from shore operations. Fleet A fleet is the largest and most distinct unit within the Stormwind Navy. The Stormwind Navy currently has eleven fleets, each varying in size and duties. A fleet most commonly ranges from 50 to 100 active ships, and is under the command of an Admiral. Fleets are given two names: Their ceremonial names (i.e, The Westfall Fleet) and their fleet names (The Second Fleet). Flotilla A flotilla is a subdivision of a fleet, often to perform a stand task such as patrols and escorts. Flotillas are considered permanent divisions, and are lead by inexperienced admirals or by Rear Admirals. Flotillas are numbered with their fleet (Fourth Flotilla of the Second Fleet), and can range in size from 5 to 20 vessels. As is common with older fleets, certain flotillas can have ceremonial names if approved by the Admiral of the fleet. Vessel The most basic unit within the navy is the ship itself, led by a Captain, though a Commander can be the commanding officer of a vessel if it has a crew below a certain number. Other Division Aboard a ship, the crew is further divided into divisions that are lead directly by a Lieutenant. Divisions can range in size from 5 to 75 sailors, and their duties can revolve around: maintaining and firing the guns, communications, navigation, cooking, logistics, moving bulk goods, etc. Section Sections is a part of a division, and is often informal. Sections are led by petty officers and experienced seamen, and most often are applied to teams that load and fire cannons. See Also Fleets of the Stormwind Navy Stormwind Admiralty Stormwind Naval Awards Issues and Criticisms of the Stormwind Navy Category:Stormwind Navy Category:Kingdom of Stormwind Category:Military Organizations Category:Stormwind Military